Chapter: 45
There may not be a miraculous solution to instantly shake off my worries, but at least I can make an effort to clear the gloomy atmosphere. Honestly, it’s somewhat humiliating to receive consolation from Rutis, whom I had thought of as one of the fools.
Even if he was just relaying Louise’s words, it still came from Rutis’s mouth. If Louise had summoned him for shock therapy, that’s really a wise choice. Having someone like him worry about me makes me feel so pathetic that it brings me back to my senses.
‘I appreciate it, but…’
Of course, I’m grateful to both Louise and Rutis. I’m thankful, but it feels like getting a lollipop from a 5-year-old who felt sorry for me while I squatted in an alley.
But what can I do? I’m the one who put myself in this situation, so I can’t really blame anyone else.
“So, you can stop now.”
“Hehe…”
When I looked at her with tired eyes, Louise awkwardly laughed and turned away. Louise’s quest wasn’t just Rutis’s responsibility; it was a quest shared by the entire club. I wonder how relieved Lather and Tannian were when Rutis spoke to me.
I couldn’t help but marvel at how Louise spread around the responsibilities. As expected from the main character in a romance fantasy novel—not only does she know how to invest wisely, but she’s also quite business-savvy!
Sitting beside me were the people from the Three Kingdoms, and every so often, Villar would look at me with pity. It even seemed like Ainter was next, so I hurried over to Louise. No way could I allow myself to be comforted by someone I had previously shaken down!
“I’m really sorry…”
“Why did you do something that would make you apologize?”
Louise lowered her head, dragging her words out, but she still stole a glance at my face and gave a sheepish smile. I ended up laughing at that.
It seemed she had caught on that I was not actually angry. Hence, here she is, smiling despite taking a deep sigh.
“If I need your help in the future, I will let you know.”
“Yes, oppa!”
“And you shouldn’t do this kind of thing again.”
“Understood!”
Only after I gave Louise the answer she wanted was I able to stop the relay of sympathy from the five-member crew. Of course, I’m not likely to find myself in a situation desperate enough to need Louise’s help, so it’s pretty much a fake promise.
Even so, I can’t rely on a kid who just celebrated their coming-of-age ceremony. This is simply a matter of pride and face.
Soon enough, it was the last day of the fair.
During this time, I couldn’t meet the 1st Manager, as it seems she was purposely avoiding me while roaming with Marghetta. The only times I bumped into her were when I went into the forest to meet the 4th Manager. She was definitely somewhere in the Academy, yet where exactly was she wandering off to? Was 1st Manager the one searching for me or was it Raiko?
“I’ll be off.”
And I remained the same, getting chased out every morning. Louise’s work prohibition remained firmly in place. I thought maybe she’d loosen up a bit towards the end.
“Take care!”
Seeing Louise wave with that bright smile, I realized things weren’t going to change. After all, she’s ranked first while I’m around the seventh.
As I glanced over at the display area while leaving, I noticed Louise’s cookies weren’t as prominently arranged compared to the other snacks. Up until now, the cookies hadn’t sold well, leaving a lot leftover. It seemed they initially agreed to make fewer of them. Thankfully, Louise didn’t seem too bothered whether what she made sold or not.
“The rankings will be announced tomorrow, right?”
“Yep. It takes a while to compile, so it’ll be announced tomorrow.”
“I hope everything sells out since it’s the last day.”
I couldn’t interfere with the work, but I left some encouraging words as the advisor before walking away from the booth.
As I headed toward the main gate of the Academy, I quietly took out the communication crystal since no one was around. I had already informed them yesterday, so asking for help now should be fine.
*
Recently, oppa’s mood seemed to have brightened up a bit.
‘I’m relieved.’
It didn’t appear that he had completely moved on, but that’s kind of expected. If it could be resolved with just a few words, he would’ve already shaken it off. I just hope oppa can feel a bit more at ease—that’s the result I want to be satisfied with.
In reality, I don’t really know what’s weighing on oppa’s mind, nor how deep those feelings go. Making a reckless approach could be harmful in such circumstances.
But the reason I got closer was that back then, oppa seemed like a pressure cooker about to blow! Thankfully, he laughed it all off, though I was really scared he might explode.
“It won’t be easy. The chains he bound himself with must be released by him alone.”
Feeling like I couldn’t handle it all by myself, I asked the club members to help comfort oppa, and during that time, Lather gave me some sober advice. He said that only oppa could undo his mysterious bindings.
“But still, with someone’s assistance, he might untie them faster,” Lather added positively while going along with my unreasonable request.
‘If only someone helps…’
If someone assists oppa, will he be able to break free from his chains quicker? I hope he doesn’t collapse like before…
No, no. Oppa seems a bit brighter now. No dark thoughts! Oppa will eventually overcome this, taking however much time he needs.
Yeah, he certainly will.
As I was lost in thought, I noticed a customer approaching from a distance. It was the Vice Principal.
‘He even came yesterday.’
Looks like he’s taken a liking to what we made. Phew, good. Now it’s time to buckle down and work! If I allow myself to be swept up in ominous thoughts, I might neglect my tasks, and that would be troublesome. Okay, let’s go!
I greeted the Vice Principal with a cheerful smile.
“These cookies seem great for a quick bite.”
The Vice Principal purchased all the cookies I had made.
…Huh?
*
Unfortunately, I couldn’t stroll around with Marghetta today due to the Student Council meeting. With the person who usually handled my morning routine gone, my schedule was in shambles. Such a sad affair.
With nowhere else to go, I found myself heading to the forest, where the 1st Manager was hanging around. Apparently, they planned to withdraw today, which worked out well. We were all gathered in one place, so saying farewell here would be convenient.
While we chatted and passed the time until afternoon, the request I made to the Vice Principal about buying booth items popped up as the center of our discussion.
“Hey, Executive Manager, that sounds like cheating.”
“Well, isn’t it just someone else buying them?”
“Not like that, but—”
“The Executive Manager is right, you know.”
“Looks like no one’s on my side.”
With the familiar banter of the 1st Manager throwing a wrench at me while the 4th Manager supported her, it was a sight I had grown accustomed to, which soothed my mind.
The “cheating” business the 1st Manager referred to wasn’t that significant. I felt uneasy seeing only Louise’s cookies left at the end, so I asked the Vice Principal to buy all of them. Wouldn’t it feel nice for Louise if all her cookies sold out on the last day and made a lasting memory of this?
Of course, I determined that I would handle the payment for the cookies the Vice Principal bought. It seemed Louise’s cookies didn’t fit his taste anyway, so I could take care of it myself.
“How can an advisor purchase everything from a club booth?”
“I didn’t buy everything, just the cookies.”
“If you bought those, then everything else is considered purchased. From what I’ve seen, only the cookies were left.”
That is indeed correct.
Finding myself at a loss for words against their claims, I remained silent under the piercing gaze of the 1st Manager.
“Aren’t you a bit too lenient towards Louise? It’s like you treat her better than Penelia.”
At that, the 4th Manager flinched, looking at me with a misty gaze. It seemed the 1st Manager’s strange words had stirred things up unnecessarily.
“But our kids put in so much effort…”
“Your juniors? They were bound to lose anyway.”
Sadly, even if I hadn’t bought up Louise’s cookies, the Pastry Club would still take home the trophy. There wouldn’t have been another club that could surpass the royal family members and the candidate saint. Despite my spouting some reality here, the 1st Manager was still raring to go.
“My juniors won’t bow down to injustice!”
“Not sure about the injustice part, but I’m sure they at least learned how to adapt to society.”
I couldn’t fathom why she was showing such high regard for her juniors. For all we know, once she goes back to the Inspectorate, she may not even remember their faces. I have no idea what to make of the 1st Manager’s peculiar style of amusement.
After bickering for a while, it seemed sufficient time had passed, so I stood up.
“Take care, everyone. I hope we’ll meet in the Inspectorate next time, not just at the Academy.”
“Ah, so you miss us do you?”
It wasn’t that I missed the Manager trio. I was just hoping for no incidents that would force the 1st Manager and the Judicial Unit to come to the Academy while I was around. Of course, given there are four other teams besides the Third Honor, that’s a fleeting wish. I might not know about the 1st Manager, but I’m definitely seeing the Judicial Unit members again!
With that, I gently tugged at the 1st Manager’s lips, only to have her flail her arms about in protest. I really wonder when she’ll learn something resembling self-awareness.
Upon returning to the booth, I was met by a wildly excited Louise sprinting in my direction. Looking at the shelves, it seemed empty—had the Vice Principal already come by? As expected from the Vice Principal, he was quick to act just after I made my request.
“O-Oppa!”
“Why? What’s going on?”
Feigning ignorance, I watched as Louise flapped her arms excitedly, boasting about her cookie sell-out success. Despite her not worrying about unsold cookies, it must feel exhilarating to see them all vanish right in front of her.
“They’re delicious, so it makes sense!”
I smiled in response, and Louise beamed back at me.
Thank you, Vice Principal. Let’s keep this secret forever.
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